The present invention discloses a positive and negative ion source based on radio-frequency inductively coupled discharge, comprising a tube, a middle portion of which is communicated with an intake pipe; discharge coils electrically connected to a matched network and a radio-frequency power supply successively are wound on the tube; one end of the tube is connected to a first cover plate in a sealed manner, and the first cover plate is connected with a positive ion extraction gate via an insulating medium; the positive ion extraction gate is electrically connected to a negative pole of a DC power supply; the other end of the tube is connected to a second cover plate in a sealed manner, the second cover plate is connected to a third cover plate in a sealed manner via a sidewall, and the third cover plate is connected with a negative ion extraction gate via an insulating medium; and the negative ion extraction gate is electrically connected to a positive pole of the DC power supply. In the present invention, the positive ions and the electrons and negative ions can be extracted simultaneously, and the problems of contamination of the ion source by particles sputtered from the backplane and overheating of the backplane are thus solved.

In a plasma ion source having an induction coil adjacent to a reactor chamber for inductively coupling power into the plasma from a radio frequency power source and designed for negative and positive ion extraction, a method for operating the source according to the invention comprises providing radio frequency power to the induction coil with a RF amplifier operating with a variable frequency connected to a matching network mainly comprised of fixed value capacitors. In this device, the impedance between the RF power source and the plasma ion source is matched by tuning the RF frequency rather than adjusting the capacitance of the matching network. An option to use a RF power source utilizing lateral diffused metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor based amplifiers is disclosed.

A dual source ionizer includes a first ionization source and a second ionization source. The first ionization source is configured to generate a first electric field. The first electric field has a first field strength that is insufficient to form NO.sub.x.sup. ions. The second ionization source is configured to generate a second electric field. The second electric field has a second field strength that is sufficient to form ozone and the NO.sub.x.sup. ions.

A method of processing a workpiece is disclosed, where the plasma chamber is first coated using a conditioning gas and optionally, a co-gas. The conditioning gas, which is disposed within a conditioning gas container may comprise a hydride of the desired dopant species and a filler gas, where the filler gas is a hydride of a Group 4 or Group 5 element. The remainder of the conditioning gas container may comprise hydrogen gas. Following this conditioning process, a feedgas, which comprises fluorine and the desired dopant species, is introduced to the plasma chamber and ionized. Ions are then extracted from the plasma chamber and accelerated toward the workpiece, where they are implanted without being first mass analyzed. In some embodiments, the desired dopant species may be boron.

The invention comprises a system for patient specific control of charged particles in a charged particle beam path using one or more trays inserted into the charged particle beam path, such as at the exit port of a gantry nozzle in close proximity to a tumor of a patient. Each tray holds an insert, such as a patient specific insert for controlling the energy, focus depth, and/or shape of the charged particle beam. Examples of inserts include a range shifter, a compensator, an aperture, a ridge filter, and a blank. Trays in a tray assembly are optionally retracted into an output nozzle of a charged particle cancer treatment system. Optionally and preferably, each tray communicates a held and positioned insert to a main controller of the charged particle cancer therapy system.

The present invention provides a charged particle source comprising a plasma processing chamber that has a plasma source, a gas supply and an ion extraction grid that are each operatively connected to the processing chamber. A conducting plate is located adjacent to a wall of the plasma source. The conducting plate has a surface with a plurality of grooves that face the wall of the plasma source. A substrate support is disposed within an interior portion of the processing chamber for supporting a substrate.

A method of processing a workpiece is disclosed, where the plasma chamber is first coated using a conditioning gas and optionally, a co-gas. The conditioning gas, which is disposed within a conditioning gas container may comprise a hydride of the desired dopant species and a filler gas, where the filler gas is a hydride of a Group 4 or Group 5 element. The remainder of the conditioning gas container may comprise hydrogen gas. Following this conditioning process, a feedgas, which comprises fluorine and the desired dopant species, is introduced to the plasma chamber and ionized. Ions are then extracted from the plasma chamber and accelerated toward the workpiece, where they are implanted without being first mass analyzed. In some embodiments, the desired dopant species may be boron.

There is provided a positron source for generating a positron beam. The positron source includes a laser arrangement configured to generate a beam of photons. A target is configured to receive the beam, wherein the target is arranged for the photons of the beam to generate a photon plasma at a surface layer of the target, wherein the surface layer is configured to preferentially absorb electrons from the photon plasma to generate corresponding free positrons. An electrode arrangement with one or more electrodes is configured to apply an electric field to the photon plasma to extract the free positrons therefrom and to guide the positrons to form the positron beam. At least the target and the electrode arrangement are included within a vacuum chamber configured in use to provide a vacuum condition in which the target and the electrode arrangement are arranged to function.

An optical communication system, circuit, and Integrated Circuit (IC) chip are disclosed. The disclosed optical communication system includes a photodiode configured to receive light energy and convert the light energy into an electrical signal, an amplifier configured to receive the electrical signal from the photodiode and output an amplified electrical signal, and a control circuit comprising a biasing network that generates a modular logic level that scales with a bias voltage of the photodiode.

A method of processing a workpiece is disclosed, where the plasma chamber is first coated using a conditioning gas and optionally, a co-gas. The conditioning gas, which is disposed within a conditioning gas container may comprise a hydride of the desired dopant species and a filler gas, where the filler gas is a hydride of a Group 4 or Group 5 element. The remainder of the conditioning gas container may comprise hydrogen gas. Following this conditioning process, a feedgas, which comprises fluorine and the desired dopant species, is introduced to the plasma chamber and ionized. Ions are then extracted from the plasma chamber and accelerated toward the workpiece, where they are implanted without being first mass analyzed. In some embodiments, the desired dopant species may be boron.